Golf club strike averted as restructuring agreed

Killarney Golf Club last night said it has reached an agreement with its staff on a restructuring plan, thereby averting a strike which was due to begin on May 7.

The dispute had arisen after the club’s management informed its 41 staff that 21 of them were to be made redundant. The club blamed a downturn in business, pointing to a 20% reduction in forecasted green fees and saying subscriptions have also fallen 20%, with 220 people opting not to renew their membership.

Siptu, which represents staff at the club, had immediately said it would ballot its members for industrial action, saying the scale of the losses was too great and pointing to an assessor’s report which, it said, indicated management had exaggerated the financial difficulties of the club.

Last night Siptu organiser Denis Hynes confirmed an agreement had been reached which will still see 17 to 21 staff being let go. He said those leaving would receive four weeks’ pay per year of service and that there would be certain changes in terms and conditions for those who remain.

In its statement, the company said: “Killarney Golf Club Ltd wishes to express gratitude to all who had a part to play in the successful negotiations that have led to the restructuring plan being accepted. We acknowledge and appreciate that it required considerable sacrifice, understanding and compromise on the part of many.”